Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a safety ruler and guide used with a rotary cutter for cutting fabric. The safety ruler and guide comprising a base guide, and a vertical guard, said base guide having a first ruler edge, a second ruler edge, and a hook clearance. The safety ruler and guide allowing the user to apply stabilizing pressure to the ruler with a first hand and using his or her opposite hand to cut the fabric with the rotary cutter or other cutting tool, and further designed to protect the user""s said first hand from injuries caused by the rotary cutter slipping over the cutting edge of the ruler during use.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
A ruler is commonly used when cutting single or multiple layers of fabric. The ruler is generally placed on the fabric and held with one hand while the other hand cuts the fabric with a rotary cutter. It is intended that sufficient pressure be placed on the ruler, and fabric, to prevent the fabric from creeping during cutting. Should the rotary cutter slip while cutting, the hand holding the ruler is unprotected from the rotary cutter slipping over the cutting edge of the ruler causing injury. Some existing rulers have a fence or wall next or near the cutting edge in an effort to prevent such injury.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,402 to Collier, includes a base with a cutting edge, a hand rest, and a vertical wall, where the said base has a total width in the range of 5 to 8 inches, and said vertical wall having a height in the range of 2 to 6 inches and being the same length as the cutting edge, and being situated approximately 1 inch from the cutting edge of the ruler. As such, the said hand rest in Collier has a width in the range of 4 to 7 inches. The resulting design allows the user to apply only limited pressure to the ruler and fabric during use causing thick, slippery and slick fabric to creep during cutting. Further, the top portion of the vertical wall in Collier includes an approximate 1 inch lip. While a hand is likely able to fit between the lip portion and base in order to apply pressure to the ruler, a handicapped person who cannot use his or her hand, but instead use a forearm, for example, would not be able to use the ruler described in Collier due to said lip.
Further, existing rulers are generally designed for right-handed people. Left-handed people, who use their left hand for cutting, would have to turn the prior art rulers upside down. Rulers often display measuring scales. As such, when the ruler is turned upside down, the measuring scale is also displayed upside down. Also, existing rulers when in place, may measure the length of fabric being cut, but not the width.
As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome these and other shortcomings of prior art.
The present invention is an apparatus that is a safety ruler and guide used for cutting fabrics with a rotary cutter or other cutting tool, comprising a base guide and a vertical guard, said base guide having a first ruler edge, a second ruler edge, and a hook clearance. The safety ruler and guide allowing the user to apply stabilizing pressure to the ruler with a first hand and using his or her opposite hand to cut the fabric with the rotary cutter or other cutting tool. The vertical guard is exactly upright to the base guide, thereby forming a protective guard between the rotary cutter and user""s hand holding the ruler, that will protect the user""s hand during the cutting operation. The hook clearance will accept a wall hook for storing the ruler.